How to Change Your Kobo Screensaver on a Mac (and Windows, or No Computer)

Kobo shows your own picture while it sleeps if you put it in one folder: .kobo/screensaver. On a Mac the hard part is that the folder is invisible, because Finder hides anything whose name starts with a dot. Here is the whole job, on Mac, Windows, and without a computer.

1. Make the picture

Use your Kobo's exact size so nothing is cropped or padded: Clara (HD, 2E, BW, Colour) is 1072×1448, Libra 2 and Libra Colour are 1264×1680, Sage is 1440×1920. The Kobo screensaver maker crops any photo to that size, lets you raise contrast for e-ink, and saves a PNG.

2. Show hidden folders on your Mac

1. Plug the Kobo in with its USB cable and tap Connect on the Kobo's screen.
2. Open Finder. The Kobo appears in the sidebar as KOBOeReader. Open it.
3. Press Cmd + Shift + . (period). Grayed-out hidden folders appear, including .kobo.

3. Create the screensaver folder and copy the picture

1. Open .kobo. If there's no folder called screensaver, create it (File → New Folder). Lowercase, singular, exactly screensaver.
2. Drag your PNG or JPG into it. Several pictures work: Kobo picks one at random each time it sleeps.
3. Delete any files starting with ._ that macOS left behind in the folder.
4. Eject the Kobo (right-click KOBOeReader → Eject) before unplugging.

KOBOeReader/
└── .kobo/   ← hidden: Cmd + Shift + .
    └── screensaver/   ← lowercase, singular
        └── my-screensaver.png

4. Switch it on

On the Kobo, go to Settings → Energy saving and privacy and turn on Show current read and Show book covers full screen. Open a book, then press the power button. With no book open, Kobo shows its own Sleeping screen instead. Firmware 4.13 or later is needed.

On Windows

Same folder, different switch: in File Explorer open View → Show → Hidden items (Windows 10: the View tab, tick Hidden items). Then follow steps 3 and 4.

Without a computer

iPhone and iPad can't do it: the Files app hides names starting with a dot, so .kobo never shows up. An Android phone with a USB-C cable and a file manager set to show hidden files usually works, because the Kobo connects as an ordinary USB drive. Otherwise, borrow a computer for two minutes; once the pictures are in, they stay through updates.

Common problems

• My Mac copied the picture but the Kobo shows a blank screen. macOS leaves small companion files whose names start with ._ next to what you copy. Delete any ._ files inside .kobo/screensaver, keep only your JPG or PNG, then eject and try again.
• The screensaver is too dark. The front light switches off when the Kobo sleeps, so the picture looks darker than while reading. Brighten the image before copying it: lift brightness 10–20 and avoid large black areas.
• Still the book cover or Sleeping screen. Check the folder name, the two settings and that a book is open. The troubleshooting guide covers the rest.